Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

WDEE THILL COUPLING.

Patented May 14, 1895;

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a. 65W N JM V WIILLIIAM EE. (5&6? i? FIG-7 ATTORNEY V UNITED STATES ATENT O ICE.

WILLIAM DEE, OF CHESTER, NEW JERSEY.

THEILL-COUPLING SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,120, dated May 14, 1895.

Application filed February 11, 1895. Serial No. 537,847. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawin gs, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifieation.

This invention has reference to certain new and useful improvements in thill couplings and has for its primary object to provide a cheap and convenient method of coupling the shafts or pole to a wagon or other vehicle, so that the same can be easilysecured or coupled to the axle or readily uncoupled.

A further object of my present invention is to provide a thill coupling having suitable holding means, which shall be secure and reliable in its operation; will allow of-the gentle lowering of the shafts or pole when the horse or horses are detached; will automatically retain the shafts or pole in a raised position, out of the way when arranged at a certain angle to the coupling; and finally, dispensing with the use of the ordinary coupling pin and draft eye which are liable to wear and loss.

To these ends the invention consists in the improved construction and combinations of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated my invention, Figure l is a plan view of the axle of a vehicle and a shaft coupled thereto by means of thill-couplings embodying the principles of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the axle and a side elevation of my improved form of thill-couplin g with the thill-iron in position. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the said parts with the thill-iron illustrated in its raised position while being coupled or uncoupled with the thill-coupling. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the several parts of the thill-coupling embodyingtheprinciplesof myinvention. Figs.

5 and 6 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of the thill-iron detached from the coupling. Fig.7 is a perspective view of a rubber or other suitable cushion adapted to be used in connection with the thill-coupling.

Similar'letters of reference are employed in each of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said drawings, A represents the axle of any suitable vehicle, and a my novel form of thill coupling.

The thill coupling a is provided with an axle clip a which forms part of the coupling and which embraces the axle in the usual manner being secured thereto by means of the bolts and nuts I) and the plate I), as will be clearly evident from an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Said clip a is provided with the forwardly extending ears a which are separate from each other at the top but are solid at the bottom, as at a and are formed with a recessed portion a", as will be'clearly seen in'Fig. 4. The portion at theback, as at a between the two ears is considerably thiclc ened in order to give sufficient strength to the coupling. Each ear 0. is provided with a slot at, inclining slightly upwardly and forwardly, and which terminates in a circular opening. a preferably-centrally arranged in each of said ears. In the said recessed portion a in the lower part connecting the two ears 0. of the coupling I have arranged a suitable cushion c of rubber or any other suitable material, which is molded or made in the form illustrated more particularly in Fig. 7, being provided with the two arms 0' and 0 arranged at a right angle to each other or approximately so, forming the space 0 between them.

The shafts or pole of the wagon are represented by the letter D, and 01 represents the thill iron, which is bolted to the shafts or thill or secured thereto in any suitable manner. Said thill iron is formed at the bottom or lower end with an enlarged or expanded head (1 of an oval shape, being formed with a camshaped end 01 at the rear, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 4. Said head is also provided on its opposite sides with elongated ears or projections d as will be more clearly seen from Figs. 5 and 6'. When the two thill irons, connected with the shafts'or pole are to be connected or coupled with the thill couplings a, said elongated head on each iron is placed between the two cars (L in such a manner, that the elongated projections or ears d can be passed through the slots a 'in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, and by forcing the cam shaped end d of the oval heads of the thillirons into the parts between the arms 0' and c of the cushion c, said projections or ears (1 will be operatively retained in the circular recesses a of the cars a of the thill couplings. At the same time said cam-shaped ends e of the head of the thill iron will firmly compress the arm 0 of the cushion a down into the chambered portion a, while the arm a of said cushion will be forced upwardly and exerta binding pressure on the curved surface 61 of the oval head of the thill-iron, as will be clearly evident from an inspection of Fig. 4.

From the construction hereinbefore described, it will be seen that all the parts of my improved form of thill coupling are attached in such amanner, that, when the parts are coupled they cannot become separated, but can be easily separated when the horse or horses are detached, as will be understood.

The rubber or other like cushion c is securely held in place in the retaining recessed portion a in the coupling and cannot become lost when the parts are separated but may be replaced by a new cushion when the old cushion becomes worn out.

Owing to the binding or clamping pressure exerted by the two arms 0' and c on the oval heads of the thill-irons, when coupled in place in the thill coupling, the shafts or pole can be readily raised and held in such raised position, out of the way, without the further use of any other appliance and without danger of falling.

Another advantage is, that by the use of my improved construction of thill coupling, I dispense with the ordinary form of coupling bolts or pins and draft eyes on the thill irons, which are liable to wear and abrasion, and the invention results in a perfectly operative de- {ice and results in an anti-rattling thill coup- Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a thill-coupling, a pair of cars a having slots at and circular openings (1 said ears being connected at the back, and at the bottom by a portion a having a recess a therein, a cushion c in said recess a, provided with arms 0 and 0 in combination with a thill iron, as d, having a head d, elongated projections on opposite sides of said head, adapted to be arranged in said circular openings a and a cam-shaped end cl on said head, adapted to be placed between the two arms 0 and c of the cushion c and cause said arms to exert a binding pressure on the head of the thill iron, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a thill-coupling, a clip a, and means for securing said clip to the axle of a vehicle, a pair of ears a extending from said clip, said ears having slots 0. and circular openings a and connected at the back, as at a and at the bottom by a portion a having a recess a therein, a cushion c in said recess a provided with arms 0' and 0 in combination, with a thill-iron, as d, having a head cl, elongated projections on opposite sides of said head adapted to be arranged in said circular openings a and a camshaped end (Z on said head, adapted to be placed between the two arms 0 and c of the-cushion c and cause said arm to exert a binding pressure on the head of the thill-iron, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of February, 1895.

WILLIAM DEE. lVitnesses:

J OSEPI-I B. BERRY, J. G. KENNEDY. 

